freely and intelligently given, and the department bids fair to get out of its time-worn ruts.

On the promotion of Miss Kennedy, Mr. W. W. Stone was promoted to the principalship of the South San Francisco School, and Mr. T. B. White was assigned to the First Grade class in that school formerly taught by Mr. Stone.

The very atmosphere of the Boys' High School has changed since James K. Wilson entered on his duties as its principal.

The boys now take an evident pride in their military drill, their societies, and their class-work. Lectures from the outside, such as Rev. Dr. Barrows, Prof. G. W. Minns, and Prof. Volney Rattan of the Girls' High School, five weekly lectures on topics directly or indirectly touching their school work. At this rate the school will soon deserve its title, and rank high among its kindred academies in the Union.

At its first meeting the Board of Education transferred Silas A. White to the principalship of the Spring Valley Grammar School, and elected DeputySupt. Joseph O'Connor to the principalship of the Valencia Grammar School. Diphtheria has become epidemic in this city, and the Board seriously contemplates closing the schools for a month, or until the disease shows signs of abatement.

The state of the school fund is giving the Board of Education serious concern. The teachers are already minus one-half a month's salary, and the question now is, shall they lose another half month's, or shall the schools be closed for a month, and no pay at all be given them. This state of things is not the fault of either the last Board of Education or of this. It is the legitimate outgrowth of the narrow-minded, illiberal policy that has systematically stood in the way of the progress of this city during the past twenty years. If San Francisco had the same chances as Chicago, she would to-day excel that city in population; her streets would not be the meanest in America; her sewers the most rotten and disease-breeding; her school houses and public buildings the most dilapidated; and her teachers constantly in dread of the loss of a portion of their hard-earned wages.

The term of our present Board of Examiners having expired, it is probable that the new Board will be elected at the meeting of February 2d. The names of James Denman, Azro L. Mann, Miss Jean Parker and Mrs. M. W. Kincaid are mentioned as likely of election.

Chairman McDonald, of the Committee on School Houses and Sites, estimates that it will take from $30,000 to $40,000 to put our school houses in fit condition for use.

As already announced, Mr. George Beanston was appointed by the Superintendent, Secretary of the Board Education. This appointment has given the greatest possible satisfaction to the Department, and to all those having dealings with the schools. Mr. Beanston has been so long connected with

this office that he thoroughly knows all its details, all about the schools and their teachers; and there is no one else who has so accurate a knowledge of the history of the Department as he.

Mr. J. A. Steinbach, the Chairman of the Committee on Furniture and Supplies, is winning universal approval for his able management of the limited funds at the disposal of his committee. With a very small amount of money, he has yet managed to keep the schools well furnished with the most necessary supplies.

WHY some school children do not keep up with their classes is thus explained by an old teacher: "Parents often keep their children at home, to allow them to be absent from school, for slight causes, apparently not realizing the injury to their children by the forming of loose habits and the loss they inevitably incur in their studies. Pupils cannot keep up with their classes when they are frequently absent; and they must either fall behind, and perhaps become discouraged, or they go on with imperfect knowledge of the studies they are pursuing.”

We have seen the first part of the State grammar, which has been prepared under the direction of Professor Allen. To say that it is an admirable work does it bare justice. Based on the principle that first comes training in language, then grammar follows, and further that all teaching philosophically proceeds from generals to particulars, and from the known to the unknown, the book, it is safe to predict, will be the best text-book on language yet issued from the press.

ERRATA.—In a squib in reference to palindromes, on page 34, instead of the translation of "Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor," the compositor inadvertently inserted the English palindrome "Lewd did I live," etc.; while in the latter the regular conjunction "and" is used instead of the character "&." "Dwell" should also be spelled with a single "1"-the old style.

WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS.

Submitted to First Grade Classes-December, 1886.

WRITTEN ARITHMETIC. (10 Questions, 10 Credits each.) 1. Sold a carriage for $125, which was 25 per cent below cost. What should I have received had I sold it at 10 per cent above cost?

2.

A person insured his house for three-fourths of its value, at two-fifths per cent, paying a premium of $73 50. What was the value of the house? 3. Find present worth and true discount of $2,202.90, due in 8 months 12 days, when money is worth 7 per cent?

4. When will $625 50 double itself at 64 per cent?

5. For how much must I draw my note at 90 days, in order that when discounted at a bank at 7 per cent the proceeds will pay for 137 yards of cloth at $2 50 per yard?

6. If 144 men in six days of 12 hours each build a wall 200 feet long, 3 feet high and 2 feet thick, in how many days of 7 hours each can thirty men build a wall 350 feet long, 6 feet high and 3 feet thick?

7. A engaged in business with a capital of $4,000; after 3 months he took in B with a capital of $6,000, and in 6 months more C became a partner with a capital of $8,000. At the end of eighteen months the profits were $18,720. What was each partner's share?

8. A tree 150 feet high, standing upon the banks of a stream, was broken off 125 feet from the top, and falling across the stream, the top just reached the other shore. Find width of stream.

9. What is the depth of a cubical bin that will contain 1,000 bushels? 10. A's weight is three-fourths of B's, and C's weight is as much as A's and B's together. The sum of their weights is 490 pounds. What is the weight of each?

1. Bought 75 barrels of apples, and found 8 per cent of them spoiled; how many barrels did I lose?

2.

From a box of tea containing 60 pounds, 15 pounds were sold at one time and 25 pounds at another; what per cent of the whole remained unsold. 3. An auctioneer sold goods to the amount of $500; what will his commission be at 2 per cent?

4. A merchant sent his agent $520 to expend for merchandise; after deducting his commission of 4 per cent, how much did he expend?

5. What must I pay annually for an insurance of $900 upon my life, at 2 per cent?

6. Bought a horse for $90; what must I sell it for to gain 8 per cent?

7. Bought for $4, sold for $6; what is the gain per cent ?

8.

9.

Bought for $6, sold for $4; what is the loss per cent?

Sold a watch for $24, by which I gain 20 per cent; what was the cost? 10. Interest of $30 for 2 years at 1 per cent per month?

11. Interest of $40 for 3 years 4 months at 6 per cent?

12. In what time will $100 double itself at 6 per cent?

13. A farmer, after selling three-fifths of his flock of sheep, had 20 left; how many had he at first?

14. Diameter is 14 feet; what is the circumference?

15. A and B hired a horse and buggy for $25; A used it 3 times, and B 2 times; how much should each pay?

16. If a half-barrel of flour cost $434, what will two-thirds of a barrel cost? 17. Square 6, double it, divide by 9, multiply by 2, extract the square root, subtract 2, multiply by 500, extract cube root.

18. A box contains 144 cubic inches; its length 8 inches, its hight 3 inches; what is its width?

19. What part of a dollar is 2 mills?

20. How many square inches on the surface of a cube 4 inches each way? 21. 9 is two-thirds of what number?

22. Area of a triangle whose base is 16 feet and altitude 6 feet?

23. 3 feet is what part of a rod?

24. What will 4 yards of tape cost at 4 cents per yard?

25. If you have answered correctly 15 questions out of 25, what per cent have you obtained?

SPELLING (Dictated).

(No spelling book is used. Pupils are required to learn to spell the words found in their various text-books.)

Principal parts of fly, flee, come, be, take. 5 credits.

Possessive singular and possessive plural of poetess, toy, lady, deer, he 10 credits.

Define phrase and clause.

Use a phrase in a sentence as subject.

Use a clause in a sentence as object.

State something about the Civil War, and in the sentence use an adverbial phrase, underlining it. 2 credits.

Write sentences showing their use, carefully underlining to show your meaning. 6 credits.

Write a statement giving some information of a battle in the Civil War, in which a participle is used, underlining the participle. 2 credits. Conjugate "fly" in indicative, past perfect.

Synopsis of "flee," potential, first plural. 6 credits.

State a fact in history, using a verb in the progressive form.
State another, using a verb in passive voice. 2 credits.
"The Lord my pasture shall prepare,

And feed me with a shepherd's care."

2 credits.

Give an example of each,

Rule for use of "shall" and "will" in forming future tense. Give example. 3 credits.

Compare last, first, less, brilliant, square. 5 credits.

ENGLISH.

Write a good description of Oakland, so that a stranger would have a good idea of the place.

Compact these phrases into a smooth, sensible, simple sentence:

Prospero could command,

having these powerful spirits

of the sea

obedient to his will,

by their means

the winds and waves.

Connect the thought in these sentences into a complex sentence:

The eagle was the general of the birds.

He was hard pressed by his enemies.

His enemies were the beasts.

He sent the bat his commands to join the army of the birds.
The swallow carried his commands.

It was in vain.

UNITED STATES HISTORY.

1. Name the three branches of the government of the United States. 3 credits.

2.

When did this government commence? 3 credits. When was the Constitution of the United States adopted? 2 credits.

3. Give the principal causes of the civil war. 5 credits.

4. Name three important battles of the civil war, giving result of each. 6 credits.

5. Name the States that formed the Southern Confederacy. 5 credits. The leading State in that rebellion. 1 credit.

6. The first act of the civil war, and when. The last act of the civil war, and when. 4 credits.

7.

Mention five battles where General Grant commanded. 5 credits.

8. Mention two cities that were besieged during the civil war, and tell why they were important points. 4 credits.